Manchester United have suffered the latest ACL injuries with Emma Watson and Gabby George both being forced off the pitch by the medical staff in two different fixtures.
Just days before the WSL was due to start on the 1st October, Scotland and Man United midfielder Emma Watson age 17, ruptured her ACL on the 26th September in an international game. Watson who joined the club in summer, was forced off the pitch just shortly before Scotland picked up a point against Belgium. This injury means that she has still yet to make her first WSL appearance.
Only weeks into the season, Gabby George age 26 ruptured her second ACL on the 15th October at Leigh Sports Village against Leicester City in a 1-1 draw. George who has only made 4 appearances since joining the club at the start of the season, was immediately taken off the pitch and will now undergo surgery and miss the rest of the season, alongside her teammate Emma Watson.
An ACL injury is the over-stretching or tearing in the knee. This specific injury is more common and will most likely occur in women than men. This is because women have less muscle mass around the knee and have an increased valgus, which leads to more stress to the knee ligaments. This injury can lead to a player being out 9-12 which is equivalent to a whole season.